(6.19.17) VentureBeat: If you’re just tuning in to blockchain, here’s a quick catch-up

Interest in blockchain technology — and its associated blockbuster fundraises — has really started to take off over the past month or so after a couple of years picking up speed.

The first blockchain, the one that powers Bitcoin (now eight years old), primarily just caught the eye of digital currency enthusiasts. But later blockchains, most notably Ethereum, have targeted applications far beyond the finance space. Blockchain-based apps now exist to help musicians become their own distributors, enable gamers to trade game assets in an open market, and allow people to vote (and check their vote was properly counted), among many other things — the list is long.